Don't talk faster than you can think

"Don't talk faster than you can think."

I got that from a fellow instructor when he was teaching. He is one of the smart ones that gets his concepts across well. When he said it, it caused me to pause and think. It was with respect to giving instructions to others, but I thought that there was probably more in that statement. I was thinking of situations where things rapidly evolve and you don't have a lot of time to make decisions in the cold.

For situations like that it helps a lot to have a plan. It doesn't have to be a 200 step plan with branches, and if anything doing that may be counter productive. A simple plan is always better, and it doesn't even have to be fully fleshed out. Veteran field training officers will teach their new officers to pre-game in their head potential problems that could happen while they are driving to a call. This helps them to reduce reaction and decision time when things go sideways.

Likewise for the private citizen, having a game plan for certain situations is very helpful. One of the tricks a criminal will use to get close to a potential victim is to ask a question to get someone to approach or to hesitate. The usuals that I have heard:

1. Directions
2. Time
3. Asking for money/cigarette/light

The first two are quite clear indicators of issues, because everybody on the planet now has a smartphone, thanks to the second most popular US president in history. So everybody knows what time it is and how to get where they are going. If somebody asks you for either of the first two, there is an issue. If a stranger asks you for the time or directions, you already know what time it is, and it is time to go someplace else. Have a pre-planned response to those questions in your mind, say it, and keep walking with a purpose. Don't slow down, don't stop. Keep moving. If they won't leave you alone after that, you're already in the pre-positioning phase of a fight. It may or may not escalate into more depending on how you manage the position, but make no mistake, you're in some level of conflict already. There are some excellent responses to these questions. If somebody asks you what time it is, just say "12:15." Tim Chandler recommends this one, and it is solid. Who cares what time it is? Give them an answer and keep walking. My favorites are nonsensical: "Sorry I don't speak English," or "Ducks are really aliens." Something that absolutely makes no sense at all may cause a disruption in your interviewer/attacker's thought process and give you that much more time to exit the scene.

For that last one I like the always useful, "I'm sorry, I can't help you." It isn't confrontational, it doesn't involve name calling or shedding doubt on anyone's parentage. Much like the former set of questions, if this one doesn't satisfy that individual and they try to chase after you or re-position, well, you're in a fight. Don't pretend that you aren't, manage it properly. Perhaps the positioning portion of it is enough to convince that person that you aren't worth it.